Copolymers having O-nitrocarbinol ester groups and production of semiconductor components

Abstract

Copolymers containing from 5 to 50 mol % of monomers having o-nitrocarbinol ester groups, from 94 to 30 mol % of methacrylonitrile, from 1 to 20 mol % of olefinically unsaturated copolymerizable carboxylic acid and from 0 to 30 mol % of other copolymerizable monomers as copolymerized units are useful for fabricating semiconductor components.

We claim: 
     
       1. A copolymer which contains as copolymerized units (a) from 5 to 50 mol % of one or more compounds of the general formula (I) ##STR6## where A is an aromatic or heteroaromatic, substituted or unsubstituted ring system of 5 to 14 ring members, X is hydrogen, alkyl of 1 to 8 carbon atoms, or substituted or unsubstituted aryl or aralkyl, and   Y is an ethylenically unsaturated radical of 2 to 6 carbon atoms,   (b) from 94 to 30 mol % of methacrylonitrile,   (c) from 1 to 20 mol % of one or more olefinically unsaturated copolymerizable carboxylic acids of 3 to 6 carbon atoms,   (d) from 0 to 30 mol % of one or more further olefinically unsaturated, copolymerizable organic compounds other than (a), (b) and (c), whose homopolymers are transparent within the wavelength region from 250 to 400 nm, with the proviso that the percentages mentioned under (a) to (d) add up to 100.   
     
     
       2. A copolymer as defined in claim 1, wherein the radical Y in the general formula (I) is one of the radicals ##STR7## 
     
     
       3. A copolymer as defined in claim 1, wherein in the general formula (I) the radical A is phenyl, the radical X is methyl and the radical Y is a ##STR8## group. 
     
     
       4. A copolymer as defined in claim 1, which contains as component (c) copolymerized units of methacrylic acid. 
     
     
       5. A process for preparing a copolymer as defined in claim 1, which comprises polymerizing the compounds mentioned under (a) to (d) in the presence of a free radical initiator. 
     
     
       6. A photoresist which can be washed out with an aqueous alkaline solution, containing a copolymer as defined in claim 1. 
     
     
       7. A semiconductor component, which comprises a copolymer as defined in claim 1 as a light-sensitive material. 
     
     
       8. A light-sensitive coating material, which comprises a copolymer as defined in claim 1. 
     
     
       9. A dry resist, which comprises a copolymer as defined in claim 1. 
     
     
       10. A planographic printing plate, which comprises a copolymer as defined in claim 1. 
     
     
       11. A resist, which comprises a substrate and a copolymer as defined in claim 1.